1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a snowmobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a snowmobile including an engine, a track belt drivable by the engine, a vehicle body frame including a tunnel portion located above the track belt, and skis located on a front portion of the vehicle body frame is known. A more lightweight snowmobile receives a smaller running resistance while running on the snow. Therefore, the snowmobile is desired to be reduced in weight. US2013/0032418 A1 discloses a snowmobile including a metal vehicle body frame partially formed of a carbon fiber material, which is more lightweight. US2011/0192667 A1 discloses a snowmobile including a bumper formed of a carbon fiber material. American Snowmobiler, February 2014, pp. 55-56 discloses a snowmobile including a tunnel portion formed of a carbon fiber material by molding.
Recently, a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material, which is more lightweight and more rigid than the carbon fiber material, is adopted for a portion of a vehicle body frame. However, it has not been attempted to replace the carbon fiber material with a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material in a larger portion of the vehicle body frame, and problems and the like caused by the replacement are not known.
In the snowmobile disclosed in American Snowmobiler, February 2014, pp. 55-56, the tunnel portion formed of a carbon fiber material by molding is provided with a reinforcing metal frame. In the snowmobile disclosed in American Snowmobiler, February 2014, pp. 55-56, the strength and the rigidity of the tunnel portion are guaranteed by the metal frame, but are not guaranteed by merely the carbon fiber material. Since the metal frame is provided, the weight of the snowmobile is increased.